Stake pointer



May 5, 1953 c. D. SKATES ET AL STAKE POINTER 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1951 '17 37 19 INVENTORS C'x/amcis' D. SKATES Lac/(K 5/16'7'158 AQa/w'danw ATTORNEYS May 5, 1953 c. D. SKATES ETAL STAKE POINTER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1951 INVENTORS Cir/Mu 5305' news Lac/(y SKHTES v-Wmxza/am ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAKE POINTER Charles D. Skates and Lucky I. Skates, Roseburg, Oreg.

Application October 9, 1951, Serial No. 250,434

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in pointers for stakes and the like, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this kind in which the stake to be cut to --a point is thrust downwardly into the device between guides into engagement with and between cutters therein with the device resting upon the ground, so that the work of the operator in handling and pointing stakes is facilitated.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device of the character indicated above which is readily adjustable for accommodating stakes of different sizes and for producing sharp or dull points on the stakes.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, showing the access panel or door;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a right-hand side elevation;

Figure 4 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section;

Figure 5 is an enlarged, transverse section taken through a cutter roller; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a vertically elongated, rectangular cross-section casing I having a box-like'upper portion and a downwardly tapered lower portion, the casing 1 being formed of a front wall 8', a rear wall 9, and a base Ill.

The front wall 8 comprises a perpendicular upper, stationary or fixed panel II and a lower panel l2 which is externally hinged at its upper edge, as indicated at l3, to the lower edge of the upper panel II to constitute an access door capable of being swung outwardly or forwardly to provide access to the interior of the lower part of the casing I and the cutter rollers therein. A handle [4 is provided on the door to facilitate opening and closing the same. I

The rear wall 9 is composed of an upper, perpendicular panel l5 parallel to the upper panel I l of the front wall 8, and terminates at its lower edge in a lower panel l6, similar to the door panel [2 ofthe front wall 8. The door panel l2 of the front wall and the lower panel [6 of the rear wall converge downwardly-toward each other at similar acute angles corresponding generally to the slant to be cut onopposite side or edges of stakes to be pointed.

The front wall 8 has rearwardly projecting flanges I 1 extending vertically-along the side edges thereof, these flanges being portions of angle irons is which include transverse flanges l9 which projectlaterally inwardly along the front side of the upper panel II. The lower edge 20 of the upper panel forms the upper boundary of the door opening 2| which extends vertically downwardly from the edge 20 to the base [0 and transversely or laterally from the laterally inward edges 22 of the angle iron flanges l9.

The rear wall 9 has angle irons 23 on the side edges thereof like the angle irons l8, the flanges 24 of the angle irons 23 extending forwardly from the rear wall.

The base I0 comprises a horizontal top plate 25 from whose opposite side edges depend longitudinal flanges 26 whose lower edges 21 are designed to rest upon the ground 28 or other supporting surface, the inverted channel thus formed providing at its front and rear ends discharge or clean-out openings for the sawdust resulting from stake-pointing operations, the top plate 25 being formed with a sawdust-receiving opening 29 corresponding in area to the space between the lower ends of the lower panels of the front andrear walls 3 and Q, respectively, and between the side flanges thereof. 1 The lower ends of the angle irons l 8 of the front wall 8 are fixed in suitable manner to the top plate 25at the 3! fixed thereon which includes a horizontal arm 32 which extends rearwardly and slidably rests upon the top plate 25. The rear wall 9 is thereby mounted upon the base II] for adjustment toward and away from the front wall 8 for accommodating stakes-of different widths or cross-sections. 7 Means forlocking the adjustment of the rear wall 9 includes a forwardly and rearwardly elongated slot 33 formed in the base top plate 25 through which bolts 34 depending from the bracket arm 32 extend, nuts 35 being provided on the bolts to lock the adjustment.

The-front and back walls 8 and 9 are bra'ced in their proper erect positions by upper and lower pairs of horizontal rods or bolts 36 which traverse the upper wall panels I l and IS in substantial vertically spaced relation to each other and extend forwardly and rearwardly between the front and rear walls and are parallely spaced from each other. As shown in Figure 2, the bolts of each pair are laterally spaced from each other at the same distance .and :are located =.Q1os,e to the side fianges of the "walls.

The front ends of the bolts or rods 36 are fixed relative to the front wall 8 by means of front and rear nuts 3'! and 38 engaging the front and iback f the front wall. Therear ends 39 of the bolts 36 are extended rearwardly of the *rea-rwalland have thereon the front and rear nuts 40 and "WI, which are engageable withstheinont and :back of the rear wall. and which are adjustable along the rear ends 39 of thebolts 36 for locking the rear wall 9 in adjusted relation to the front wall t. iFor-example'to:adfiust the rearwall flzrearweirdly away *ffrom fron't avail 8 from the apO- sitionrshown in Figure 4, =the-":base lbolts'34 are first loosened"followingwhich the rrearnuts --4 l are backed rearwardly :along ithe ibOlt ends 3 9 the des'ired distance, whereupon the front-nuts 40 .are turned -rearwardly :along the bolt ends 39 until theyengage ithe fronts'ide of the rear wall?! and forceth'e rear walhagainst the rear nuts 4 l. "The base :nuts 35 :are thenme'tightened.

' The cu'tter rollers J13are located in the lower tapered par t of the casing and along the facing sides 'of the lower panels H2 :and t6. While seven cutter rollers 43 are shown along each of the -lower panels and IBJit-Willbe understood that a greater or less number of :nu'tter rollers 'may be used, if desired.

' Each outterroller lw is composed of a; relativeiy' large diameter solid sl-raft $4 of generally cylindricalkcross-section, havingfour similar and equally circumferentially spaced fiatflongitudinal surfaces l5, the shaft k l bei'ng only slightly shorter than the distance between theaside fianges I '1 'and "2 d of the front and rear walls -B and 9 respec- "tively, between-whichtherollers are located. The

*from others, in 'order that vertically adjacent --pairs of the "sprocket *wheels can be operatively connected by means of sprocket chains 49, the 'lowermost cutter roller sprocket wheels being con- "nected by other sprocket chains 50 and 5| to spro'cktwheels 52 and 53 which are operatively connected by gear Wheels 54 and 55 to the shaft 56 of a preferably electric motor 51 mounted on *the' ground or'fioor 2-8, whereby the cutter rollers l3 are all driven at the same speed with the front cutterrollers turning clockwise in Figures 3 -and4andthrear cutter rollers turning'counterclockwise. Alternatively, the positions of the rollers may be reversed, so that'the front rollers rotate counterclockwise-and the rear rollers clock- W188.

The-cutter rollers d3 :includeflat, longitudinal :blades Hit whichghave :beveled cutting 'edge's'j5'9 and ribbed, rnon-slip :under :surface 60 which-engage ribs 6| on the zflatsurfaces 45 the blades :bei-ng ifnrmed 193 intervals "with transverse 5810125 '62 roll through which extend the shanks of studs 63 which thread into the surfaces and have heads 64 to hold the blades in place. This arrangement permits the blades 58 to be adjusted crosswise of the rollers to extend the cutting edges tangentially or chordally beyond the periphery of the shaft 44 to increase or decrease the cutting depth of the blades. As shown in Figures ,3 and fl, the cutter :rollers Main-the front and rear banks'are uniformly and closely outwardly spaced relative to each other so that in action the blades 58 of adjacent rollers substantially overlap in cutting efifect, iThe rollers in the two banks are also substantially On the same level.

i-In operation, the device having been adjusted "for 'the size of stake to be pointed, a stake 66 is pushed downwardly in erect position through the open top of the casing I and its lower end engaged With'the cutter rollers. The direction of rotation of the cutter rollersserves to move the stake "E6 downwardly in "engagement with "the cutter rollers, sotha't *thesides'oredges of thelower end :Uf the stake are tapered withia minimum ol down- -ward'pressure'being exertedby*the'operator. The bars'I-ZB serve' toguide thestakes 66 into accurate and uniform engagement with the cutter rollers '43 so that uniform points :are formed von the stakes.

By proper adjustment of the machine, it may also beemployed to -cu't;points on pickets.

What is claimed is "1. 'In a stake-pointer, acasinghaving agpair of spaced walls, a base located at 'one ,end or said "walls and extending there'between, banks ,of rdtary cutter rollers mounted on the laterally ,inward sides-of 'said'walls, :said banks convergingtoward each other toward sa i'done end, means for rotating said rollers together, theaxes of said "rollers extending crosswise of. said walls,- and parallel to each other and to the base, one of "said walls being fixed to said base and the other wall being .movable upon the base towardand away from said one wall, and means'locking sa'id'movable wall in its adjusted position .of movement.

2. In a.stak.e pointer, a casing having apair ofspaced walls,.agbasejlocatedat one end ,of said walls and extending therebetween, one of said walls being .fixed ,to .said base and the other of said wallsbeing movable ,unonsaid .base toward and away fromsa'id ,one wall, banks of rotary cutter rollers mounted on the laterally inward sides .of said walls. .said banks converging toward each -.other toward ,said one end, .and means for rotatin said rollers together, .a :pair of guide bars extending between said walls, .said .guide bars loeinglaterally vspaoedfronreach other and having one end thereof fixed .to :said one .of said walls, ..the..other ,ends of the guide .bars having end portions extending through portions of said other zwallpand ,meanson said end portions and en ageable with ,said :other wall .for adjusting said .other wall toward ,and away from said one wall and locking said other wall in adjusted position.

;3. In a stake :pointer, a casing :having :a pair ofc'sp oed-walls,zarbase located atone endofsaid walls and extending therehetween, banks of retary -,cutter rollers :mounted 1011 the laterally inward sides of said ".walls, said banks converging toward each other "toward :said one end, :and means :for rotating :said '31011815 together, ."the axes :of :said :rollers mxten'ding crosswise of ;said walls, andparalleldm each :otherzandwothe base, one {of maid-walls :belng fixed :to said base :and

the other wall being slidably engaged with the base for adjustment toward and away from said one wall, bracket means on said other wall having an arm slidably engaged with said base, and releasable means acting between a portion of said base and said arm serving to free said arm for movement relative to the base and to lock said arm against movement relative to the base in an adjusted position of said other wall.

4. In a stake pointer, a base adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, a vertical casing rising from said base, said casing having spaced front and rear walls, said front wall being fixed to said base and said rear wall being movable on said base toward and away from said front wall, releasable means securing the lower end of the rear wall to the base and permitting adjustment of the rear Wall toward and away from the front wall, a bank consisting of a plurality of horizontal axes, vertically spaced cutter rollers extending across each of said walls at their facing sides, said banks of rollers converging downwardly toward each other, and means for rotating the rollers together.

5. In a stake pointer, a base adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, a vertical casing rising from said base, said casing having spaced front and rear walls, said front wall being fixed to said base and said rear wall being movable on said base toward and away from said front wall, releasable means securing the lower end of the rear wall to the base and permitting adjustment of the rear wall toward and away from the front wall, a bank consisting of a plurality of horizontal axes, vertically spaced cutter rollers extending across each of said walls at their facing sides, said banks of rollers converging downwardly toward each other, and means for rotating the rollers together, the rollers of the two banks being arranged to rotate in opposite directions to feed a stake downwardly in the casing in contact with the rollers.

CHARLES D. SKATES.

LUCKY I. SKATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 147,813 Bigelow Feb. 24, 1874 935,779 Conway Oct. 5, 1909 1,356,031 Adams Oct. 19, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 128,517 Great Britain June 26, 1919 

